


The Bat and the Artist

by Violet_Royale



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: But it might be deleted due to Wattpad’s new ownership, M/M, So i’m posting it here, Undertale AU, Vampire verse, Vampireverse, i posted this on wattpad, sans au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-16
Updated: 2021-02-25
Packaged: 2021-03-18 20:33:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 10,594
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29495853
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Violet_Royale/pseuds/Violet_Royale
Summary: Encre has always been bullied by the village ever since the day he arrived, but he's also been abused by his father who he lives with. One day, Encre saves a little bat that appears to have been burned, only for it to turn into Fallacy, the King of the Vampires, later that night. Fallacy kidnaps Encre in an attempt to rescue him from the life he's living, as thanks for rescuing him from the sun.Because Encre is French, I wanted to make him speak French. Unfortunately, I do not know any French myself, apart from some baking terms (I love baking!), and I didn't want to use Google Translate. So when a character is speaking French, the words will be in bold text.I do not own the characters, nor do I own any art depicted in this story.
Relationships: Fallacy/Encre, Other Relationship Tags to Be Added, suave/Jasper
Comments: 4
Kudos: 19





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> I could only find some of the names of the various characters in Vampireverse, so I made up my own names for the characters I couldn't find. The canon names I COULD finds are as follows: Fallacy (Error), Encre (Ink), Jasper (PaperJam), Suave (Fresh), Azure (Blue), Rufous (Red), Dr. Simon (Science), Orion (Outer), Macabre (Nightmare), Cruzar (Cross), Eterna (Undyne), Dr. Lofty (Alphys), Carlos (Chara), Fibi (Frisk). Gradient is also sometimes in Vampireverse, named Viktor or Pierri, depending on whether Gradient is male or female.
> 
> I couldn't find the canonical names for anyone else, so I made up my own. If anyone finds the real names, please let me know, and I will change them. The names I chose are: Rêver (Dream), Tueur (Killer), Sombre (Dust), Hache (Horror), Luxure (Lust). I may or may not add more characters, but I won't know their canonical names unless someone tells me. Also, I might not use all of the characters I've listed.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fallacy is rescued by a sweet French-speaking skeleton, and rescues that skeleton in return.

It was getting light, and a bat was frantically flying as fast as he could. He couldn't believe that he'd lost track of time as badly as he had. Now there was no way he could possibly make it back home before sunrise! His only hope was to make it to some shade before he burned to a crisp. For this bat was none other than Fallacy, King of the Vampires.

The sunlight touched the vampire, and Fallacy felt the agony immediately. Smoke began rising from his body. Soon he would be no more. But then he saw the small village of Underville ahead. If he could just make it to the shadow of the nearest building, he would be safe! Mustering all of his strength and willpower, Fallacy somehow made it to the building.

It was a small house, and the Vampire King saw a young skeleton sitting inside, painting. Of course, Fallacy couldn't enter the house without an invitation. It was one of the Primordial Vampire Laws, and even the king was not immune to it. But then, the skeleton inside noticed the vampire, and rushed to the window.

" **Oh, you poor little bat!** " the skeleton cried out softly, extending his hand to the vampire. " **Come here! Let me help you!** "

Fallacy couldn't understand much of what he was saying, but he understood that the skeleton was inviting him in. He allowed the skeleton to pick him up and carry him into the house.

" **Do you want some food?** " the skeleton asked. " **What kind of bat are you? Do you eat fruit, or insects? Hmmm... or maybe you're a vampire bat?** "

The skeleton carefully examined the bat, but couldn't tell what kind of bat it was. If he didn't find out, he wouldn't be able to provide it with food.

 _ **Maybe I should just get some fruit to see if it eats that?**_ he thought to himself.

The skeleton gently placed Fallacy on his bedside table and left the room. Minutes later he was back with some fresh fruit, a small bowl, and a knife. He tried to feed the fruit to Fallacy, but the vampire couldn't eat it. Vampires could only eat mortal food if it was saturated with blood first.

" **Hmm...** " said the skeleton. " **So I guess you don't eat fruit? I can't get you any bugs, so I hope this works!** "

He carefully cut his fingerbone and let a few drops of his blood fall next to the bat's face.

The smell of the skeleton's blood was intoxicating. Fallacy had never smelled such a delightful scent before in his entire life. It was sweet, like the smell of the richest chocolate, only better! The vampire king lapped up the little blood droplets. It tasted even better than it smelled! It was like a dessert that he could never have enough of. Fallacy looked up at the skeleton, hoping he would let him have some more.

" **Ah, so you ARE a vampire bat!** " the skeleton said, satisfied. " **I bet those awful villagers burned you because they thought you were a real vampire! But vampires aren't real. And even if they WERE real, there's no way they'd ALL be bad. Saying all vampires are evil is like saying all mortals are good! It's just not true.** "

The skeleton cut his hand and let his blood spill into the bowl. When the bowl was full, he placed it in front of Fallacy. The vampire greedily drank up all the blood in the bowl. With his thirst satisfied, he looked back up at his savior. To his surprise, there was a rainbow glow around the skeleton's hand. When the glow faded, the hand was fully healed.

 _So this skeleton has magic!_ Fallacy thought happily.

" **Now, you can stay here as long as you want, little bat,** " the skeleton said, stroking Fallacy's head. " **Just don't let my father see you! He can be a bit... cruel.** "

Fallacy watched the skeleton sit down at an easel and start painting. The skeleton was incredibly gifted, and Fallacy could see that as he watched him paint. Before noon, the skeleton had created a painting of a sunset.

 _So he's an amazing painter, too!_ Fallacy thought. _I could really use a painter in my castle! I wonder if he'd be willing to come live with me? He's very beautiful, too. Like he's a living work of art himself. And he must have a kind heart, if he was willing to help me! He would make for an excellent mother for Jasper._

The skeleton carefully took the painting and place it on a table nearby. He then looked at Fallacy and smiled.

" **I know what I'll paint next!** " he said happily. He started on a new painting. Fallacy watched in great interest as the skeleton painted a picture of the bat on the table. By sundown, the painting was complete.

The skeleton was just putting the finishing touches on his painting when a loud and angry voice yelled from downstairs, "ENCRE! WHERE ARE YOU?!"

The skeleton gasped in horror, and leaped up. He rushed to Fallacy and grabbed him, hiding him under his bed. " **Stay hidden!** " he whispered frantically before scrambling to his feet.

The bedroom door slammed open, and an older skeleton stormed in. Fallacy watched in horror as the new skeleton struck the first, knocking him to the ground.

"You worthless little worm!" the new skeleton yelled, kicking Fallacy's savior in the ribs. "You useless, pathetic trash!"

" **Father, please! Stop!** " the first skeleton cried.

"Speak English, you little brat!" yelled the new skeleton.

"Please, Father!" cried Fallacy's savior.

 _Father?!_ Fallacy thought in outrage. _No father should ever treat his child like that!_

Fallacy crawled out from underneath the bed, and transformed into his natural form. The two skeletons stared in shock as the bat turned into a tall dark skeleton with blue flame markings around his red eyes. To the father of his savior, it seemed as though Fallacy had appeared out of nowhere, but the younger skeleton realized almost at once that the bat he had saved was indeed a vampire after all.

Fallacy decided to deal with the father at a later time. Right now, he needed to get his savior to safety. Throwing the father off, he scooped the smaller skeleton up in his arms.

The younger skeleton stared up at him in terror as Fallacy carried him out of the house. He struggled to get free, and Fallacy could see that he would need to do something to calm him down. The vampire brought his fangs down to the skeleton's neck and bit down hard, draining him of his energy. Slowly the skeleton went still, passing out within moments.

Now that the skeleton wasn't struggling, it would be easier to carry him away. Fallacy spread his great wings and began flying back to his castle deep within the Forbidden Forest. With the sun down and his earlier meal of blood invigorating him, his speed was much faster than it was early that morning. He was able to reach his castle within the hour.

The door opened as soon as Fallacy landed, and two people came rushing out. One was Fallacy's son, Jasper, a dark vampire with orange flame markings around his pink and yellow eyes. The other was the butler, Suave, a skeleton with his soul in his eye.

"Father! Are you alright?!" cried Jasper. "I was so worried!"

"Are you okay, my lord?" Suave asked.

"I'm fine now, all thanks to this mortal," Fallacy replied. "He saved me, so I saved him."

"What happened?" Jasper asked. Fallacy replied, "I'll explain once I've taken care of him."

He carried the skeleton in his arms to a luxurious bedroom, and lay him down on the bed. Fallacy went to his own room and grabbed some pajamas, and took them to the skeleton. He carefully changed the skeleton out of his clothes into the pajamas, noting the swirling tattoos on his arms, ribs, and spine. Then he tucked the skeleton into bed. After a moment's hesitation, the vampire gently kissed the skeleton's forehead before leaving the room.

Half the castle was waiting outside the room for Fallacy. Everyone looked extremely worried and relieved.

"So what happened, Father?" Jasper asked anxiously.

"Well..." Fallacy said, and he began explaining the whole story.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fallacy gives Encre a new home in his castle, and a job as his Royal Painter.

Everyone around stared at Fallacy in shock as he finished telling them what had happened. Jasper quickly hugged him, grateful that Fallacy was nothing like the skeleton's father. It had never occurred to him that a parent could treat their own child that way.

"Suave, you speak French, right?" Fallacy asked the butler, hugging Jasper back. Suave nodded, and the king said, "I'd like you to translate anything our guest says. I have a feeling he doesn't speak very much English, and I could understand very little of what he said."

"Yes, my lord," Suave said, bowing.

"Can I see him?" Jasper asked hopefully. Fallacy shook his head, and said, "Not right now. He needs to rest. I had to drain his life energy to calm him down, and he'll have a bad headache when he wakes up. When he wakes up he'll need some food."

**_*TIME SKIP*_ **

The skeleton's head felt like twenty pounds of bricks had dropped on it from fifty feet in the air. He could hear whispering, but it sounded as loud as screaming.

"Will he be alright?"

"He should be. He healed up very nicely without any help."

"I hope he likes the food!"

The skeleton groaned and forced his eye sockets to open. Everything around him was blurry, but he could see two shapes moving nearby. The voices went quiet for a moment, then one of them said, "He's awake! Go get Lord Fallacy! Hurry!"

One of the shapes left the room, and the other grew closer. The voice said, " **How are you feeling?** "

The skeleton groaned again, and said, " **Like my head is about to explode. What happened? The last thing I remember is...** " He stopped talking as the memories came flooding back. The little bat, his father beating him again, the bat turning into a vampire and carrying him away, the vampire biting him, then nothing more.

" **Vampires are real?!** " the skeleton whispered in shock. The voice spoke again, saying, " **Lord Fallacy was extremely grateful to you for saving him from the sun and making sure he was well fed. So he decided to return the favor, and rescue you from your father. Here, this food is for you.** "

The blurs were slowly coming into focus. The skeleton sat up, but black spots danced before his eyes. He almost fell back again, but a hand caught him and helped steady him. A tray of food was placed in his lap, and the skeleton could smell it. It made his mouth water, and he carefully started eating. It was tomato soup, with roast beef and mashed potatoes, and a slice of blueberry pie.

As the skeleton ate, his vision cleared up. He could see the person in the room with him now. It was another skeleton, with a soul in his eye.

" **My name is Suave,** " the other skeleton said. " **I'm Lord Fallacy's butler. What's your name?** "

" **Encre.** "

" **Well, Encre,** " said Suave, " **do you speak English?** "

" **Very little,** " Encre replied. " **I can understand it more than I can speak. The villagers in Underville always bullied me because I could barely speak any English, and my father hated that he couldn't understand me when I spoke. He always thinks I'm talking badly about him when I speak French, and he decided that I need to be punished for it, even if I'm not.** "

" **What about your mother?** " Suave asked.

" **My mother was killed four years ago by people who discovered that she could do magic,** " Encre said. " **They burned her at the stake for being a witch. They found out that I could do magic too, and tried to kill me, but I was able to escape and fled to Underville to live with my father. He never wanted kids, and he wasn't happy when I showed up, but King Asgore ordered him to take me in.** "

Suddenly, the door opened, and Fallacy walked in. Encre recognized him immediately as the vampire from before, and froze.

"Did you learn anything about him?" Fallacy asked Suave. The butler told him what Encre had said, and the vampire king nodded thoughtfully.

"So you can understand English," Fallacy asked Encre, "but you just can't speak it?"

Encre nodded hesitantly. Fallacy looked at Suave, and said, "I want you to teach him English. It won't do for him to be unable to communicate with people in the castle."

"Yes, my lord," Suave said, bowing.

Fallacy looked back at Encre, and said, "I don't want you to be unhappy or afraid. Nobody is going to hurt you anymore, I promise. And if someone treats you badly for any reason, let me know immediately. I will not tolerate bullies."

" **Thank you,** " Encre said, relieved. Suave translated for him, and Fallacy smiled.

"I noticed that you are a remarkable painter," the vampire said. "I've been wanting a painter in my court for quite some time, but I could never find one talented enough. But then I saw your paintings. I want you to be my royal painter. You'll have all the supplies you could ever want, and I'll make sure you are respected. What do you say, Encre? Would you like to be my royal painter?"

" **I'd love that!** " Encre replied happily.

"Good," Fallacy said after Suave translated. "For now, though, I want you to rest, and regain your strength. I'll check in with you every now and then, to make sure you're doing well."

Fallacy left the room a little later, and went to his study. As he closed the study door behind him, he leaned back against it. Encre was so sweet, and beautiful. He reminded Fallacy of Jasper's mother, Calamimi. It had been over a hundred years since Calamimi had died, and while it had taken some time, Fallacy had finally gotten over her death and was ready to move on. He knew that it was what she would have wanted, and Encre seemed to be perfect for Fallacy. Hopefully, Encre would feel the same way.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fallacy learns some very interesting information about Encre.

True to his word, Fallacy continued to stop by Encre's room to check up on him. After the first three visits, however, a new person came in. It was a young boy who looked to be about ten years old. He closely resembled Fallacy, but he had orange flame markings around his pink and yellow eyes.

"My lord, does your father know you're here?" Suave asked the young boy.

"No," replied the boy, "but I really wanted to meet our new painter!"

"I'm sorry, my lord, but he needs to rest," Suave said. "Perhaps later, when your father says it's okay."

The boy looked disappointed, but left. Encre watched him go, then asked the butler, " **Who was that boy?** "

" **That's Lord Fallacy's son, Prince Jasper,** " Suave replied. " **You'll have to forgive him, he's only 108 years old, so he's still young and impulsive. He's been wanting to meet you ever since Lord Fallacy brought you to the castle.** "

Encre felt slightly disappointed. If that was Fallacy's son, then surely his mother was around somewhere. Which meant Fallacy was probably married, or at the very least in a relationship. Then Encre caught himself. Why was he disappointed? Surely he wasn't interested in Fallacy?

" **Is something wrong?** " Suave asked. Encre shook his head quickly.

" **No,** " he said. " **Although now I'm wondering who his mother is. Will I get to meet her, too?** "

" **Unfortunately, Prince Jasper's mother Calamimi was a mortal, and died of an illness shortly after he was born,** " Suave replied. " **And his twin brother, Viktor, was born a mortal instead of a vampire, so he died of old age 33 years ago.** "

" **I see,** " Encre said. He felt bad for Fallacy and Jasper. He knew what it was like to lose a loved one, with his own mother's death.

There was a knock at the door, and then it opened to reveal Fallacy.

"How are you feeling?" Fallacy asked Encre.

" **Much better now, thank you,** " Encre replied. Suave translated for Fallacy, who smiled.

"Good," the vampire said. "I hear my son came in."

" **He seems like a sweet kid,** " Encre said.

"He really is," Fallacy agreed when Suave translated. "Though he can be a bit of a handful at times. But he's still a child, so that's to be expected."

Encre hesitated for a moment, wondering if he should say what was on his mind. Fallacy noticed and asked, "Is something wrong?"

Encre hesitated a moment more before saying, " **I wanted to give my condolences for the loss of Jasper's mother and brother. I know what it feels like to lose someone you love.** "

Suave froze when Encre said that. Fallacy looked at him and asked, "What did he say?" The butler quietly translated, and Fallacy blinked.

"Thank you, Encre," the vampire said, smiling at him. "It's been a long time since they passed, and I've gotten over their deaths. I know that Calamimi would want me to move on, and Viktor wouldn't want me to grieve for him any longer. But it's nice to know that you care."

They talked a little longer, then Fallacy left again. He was now quite curious about Encre, and wanted to know more about this charming French mortal. Fortunately he had a book in his library about the skeleton families that had magical bloodlines. He went to find the book and began searching through it for information about Encre.

It took a while, but he eventually found the entry he was looking for:

_Name: Encre_

_Age: 25_

_Sexual Identity: Cis Male_

_Race: Skeleton Witch_

_Magic Levels: Inordinate_

_Sexuality: Gay_

_Sexual Personality: Submissive_

_Sexual Status: Virgin_

_Romantic Interest:_ *******

_Encre was born to a mortal skeleton father and a skeleton witch mother, inheriting his mother's power. He was the seventh child of his mother, who was the seventh child of her father, who was the seventh child of his own mother. This trend of seventh children dates back thirteen generations, with each seventh child being born with more power than previous generations. As the thirteenth generation, Encre has more power than most magical beings, to the point of it affecting his mortality. He has the rare gift of Amortality, meaning that while he can still die, he cannot stay dead. He will regenerate in a safe location after every death. He also has the power of eternal youth, which made him stop aging physically on his 21st birthday. Unlike most other male skeletons, Encre has the ability to become pregnant and give birth, but cannot impregnate other people himself. He is the reincarnated form of Calamimi._

Fallacy stared at Encre's entry in the book. So Encre was Calamimi reborn? This was great news! And the best part was the part about Encre's amortality! Fallacy would never lose him! That is, unless he accidentally drove Encre away himself. It was a pity that the vampire couldn't see the Romantic Interest section, but that was to be expected. All of the Romantic Interest entries in these books were censored to anyone but the person the entry was about until that person wanted their romantic interest to be known. But Fallacy did know that Encre's romantic interest was a male with seven letters in his name, one for each of the astrisks.

Fallacy thought about his own name, and realized that there were seven letters in it. Perhaps Encre was interested in him? If so, the vampire king would have to think carefully on how to woo him. He didn't want to spook him.

Fallacy placed a bookmark in the book, and closed it as he stood up. He had work to do.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fallacy addresses the rumors that are spreading about Encre.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've decided to stop writing when Suave translates. It's going to get repetitive if I keep saying "Suave translated", so I'm only going to state when he does in instances where he hesitates, such as in the previous chapter when he hesitated after Encre spoke to Fallacy about Calamimi and Viktor. Otherwise, if a character responds to what Encre says in French, it's safe to assume that they either understand French or Suave translated what he said.

Fallacy was lost in thought after reading Encre's entry in the book, so he didn't notice Jasper enter the study. The child went to him and was about to speak when he noticed what Fallacy was reading. Curious, Jasper read the entry, and gasped when he got to the part about Encre being Calamimi reincarnated.

"Mr. Encre is my mom?" Jasper gasped, startling Fallacy. The vampire king jumped, but relaxed slightly when he saw that it was only his son.

"Yes, it seems so," Fallacy answered. Jasper hugged him and asked, "Are you going to marry him?"

"Maybe," Fallacy said, hugging him back. "But I don't know if he's interested in me right now. I need to find some way to court him."

"What about how you got Mommy to like you?" Jasper asked. "Maybe you could try that, and see if it works? If Mr. Encre is Mommy, maybe he'll still like the same things as Mommy did!"

"It's certainly worth a try," Fallacy agreed. "Now, I want you to promise me that you won't tell Encre what you've learned about him, okay?"

"Yes, Father," Jasper said. Fallacy smiled as he let go of his son and said, "Now, shouldn't you be at your piano lesson right now?"

Jasper pouted, but left for his piano lesson. Fallacy smiled and shook his head as he watched the child go.

**_*TIME SKIP*_ **

As Fallacy left his study later that day, he heard some of the maids whispering together. His vampiric senses allowed him to hear what they were saying.

"The skeleton, Encre, is really Calamimi reborn!" whispered one of the maids. Another maid whispered back, "It's amazing! I wonder how Lord Fallacy plans to win his heart?"

Fallacy sighed in frustration, startling the maids. The vampire king went to them, and said, "Gather everyone in the castle in my throne room, except for Encre. I need to have a talk with you all."

"Yes, my lord," the maids said, curtsying before the left. Fallacy went to find Jasper, who was just finishing up his piano lesson. When the child saw the displeased look on his father's face, he immediately said, "You never said I couldn't tell the servants! Just Encre!"

Fallacy sighed, and said, "You're right. I SHOULD have made you promise not to tell ANYONE, but I didn't. So that's on me, I suppose. But there is a reason that I don't want Encre to know about this. Now, come along. I need to speak to everyone in the throne room."

Fallacy and Jasper went to the throne room and waited for everyone in the castle to arrive. Finally, once everyone was there, Fallacy addressed them.

"Now, I'm sure you've all heard some rumors about Encre, the skeleton that I brought to the castle after he save me from the sun, being Calamimi reborn," Fallacy said. "I'm going to put those rumors to rest. They are true."

The crowd murmured in surprise. It seemed that not everyone had heard the rumors. Fallacy waited until the murmuring died down before continuing, "Now, I intend to win his heart, so I don't want anyone telling him about him being my dead wife reincarnated."

"Why not?" asked a voice. Fallacy frowned, and said, "I don't want him to feel pressured to marry me against his will. I want to truly win his heart, and if he knows that he's Calamimi reborn, he may feel obligated to be with me since his soul used to be that of my wife."

"But what if he dies again?" asked another voice. Fallacy replied, "He has a very rare gift called Amortality. It means that he can die, but he can't STAY dead. If he dies, he will regenerate in a safe location."

There was more murmuring, but this time the crowd sounded impressed. Amortality was one of the rarest powers. It was so rare, in fact, that most people didn't even believe in it. But according to the legends, amortality always came with eternal youth, so it came as no surprise to Fallacy when someone asked, "How old is he?"

"He's 25," Fallacy replied, "but he stopped aging physically on his 21st birthday. It seems that the stories about Amortality always coming with Eternal Youth may be true. Are there any more questions?"

"Do you plan to have kids with him?" asked a voice. Another voice said, "But they're both boys! How can they have kids together?"

"Encre may be male, but he's not like most male skeletons," Fallacy said. "He has the ability to become pregnant, but not get others pregnant. It's an unusual ability, yes, but not unheard of amongst skeleton folk."

There were more questions, and Fallacy answered them the best he could. Eventually, the crowd ran out of questions, and Fallacy dismissed them. As the crowd dispersed, Jasper turned to his father and asked, "Can I meet him now? Please, Father?"

Fallacy chuckled, and said, "Alright, Jasper. You can meet him. Just remember your promise!"

Jasper jumped up and down, squealing in excitement. He grabbed his father's hand and started dragging him toward Encre's room. Fallacy smiled and shook his head at his son's excitement.

As they arrived at the room, Jasper pushed open the door. Encre seemed startled at the sudden appearance of the two vampires.

"Hi!" Jasper said excitedly, dragging Fallacy with him as he approached Encre's bed. Fallacy frowned and said, "Jasper, it is not polite to enter someone's room without knocking first."

"Sorry," Jasper said, looking down at his feet. "I just really wanted to meet Mr. Encre!"

" **Aww! He's so adorable!** " Encre cooed.

Jasper giggled happily, and gave Encre his cutest smile.

"What do you say when someone gives you a compliment, Jasper?" Fallacy said.

"Thank you, Mr. Encre!" Jasper said.

"How are you feeling, Encre?" Fallacy asked.

" **I feel better than I have in a long time,** " Encre said.

"Good," Fallacy said. "Can you stand?"

Encre swung his legs over the edge of the bed and carefully stood up. Fallacy was pleased to see that he didn't seem to have any trouble. Encre took a few steps, and smiled at the vampires.

"Good," Fallacy said. "You should explore the castle. It's your new home, after all."

" **Thank you,** " Encre said.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Encre is attacked by a young vampire.

Encre was exploring the castle as Fallacy had suggested, and noticed some very odd behavior amongst the servants. They all seemed to stare at him in awe, whispering together. But he didn't pay any attention to the strangeness. Perhaps they were just acting that way because he was new in the castle, or because he'd saved Fallacy. Suave HAD mentioned that Fallacy had told everyone about what Encre had done for him, after all.

After some time, Encre found himself in a beautiful garden. It looked more like an enchanted forest than a normal garden, with huge trees and colorful flowers everywhere. The stars shone bright in the sky, and the full moon hung above him. It was a beautiful scene, and Encre really wanted to capture it on an easel. Unfortunately, he hadn't seen any art supplies in the parts of the castle that he had already explored. But the castle WAS huge, so for all he knew there could be a full on art studio in one of the rooms he hadn't been in yet!

He wandered around the garden, drinking in all of its beauty. Unbeknownst to Encre, he was being watched by a small vampire who wasn't very pleased with the skeleton's presence.

_A trespasser!_ the small vampire thought furiously. _The king would not be too pleased to find a trespasser in his castle! But what if I... dispose of this trespasser? Yes, Fallacy will be so proud of me!_

Without warning, the vampire leapt out of the bushes and attacked Encre. The poor skeleton shrieked and fell under his attacker. The vampire then noticed the bite mark on Encre's neck.

_Looks like he's already been attacked!_ the attacker thought. _I'll just finish off the other vampire's work for them!_

When his attacker opened his mouth to strike, Encre saw his fangs. He realized at once that it was another vampire.

" **Fallacy, help!** " Encre screamed as his attacker bit his neck.

The smaller vampire heard Encre scream Fallacy's name, and a horrible thought hit him. He knew that Fallacy had brought a skeleton called Encre to the castle after being saved from the sun. And he knew from Fallacy's talk with the castle that this Encre was Calamimi reborn. What if this skeleton wasn't a trespasser at all, as he had assumed? What if he was the Encre skeleton? Fallacy would NOT be pleased if the small vampire just attacked the king's love interest.

But then, the two of them heard an enraged roar, and the small vampire was lifted off of Encre. Fallacy stood protectively over the skeleton, holding the attacker in the air by his collar.

"How DARE you!" Fallacy roared at the attacker. "I took you in, and gave you a home, and THIS is how you repay me?! By attacking Encre?!"

"I'm sorry!" the attacker cried. "I didn't know he was Encre! I thought he was just a trespasser!"

"Silence, Carlos!" Fallacy yelled. "If there was a trespasser on the castle grounds, I would know about it! I'll deal with you later! Go to your room, NOW!"

He released the smaller vampire, who rushed off. Fallacy scooped Encre up and asked, "Are you alright? Let me see your neck!"

Encre tilted his head to show Fallacy where his attacker had bitten him. Fortunately, the smaller vampire had froze in his attack when Encre had called for Fallacy, so he hadn't bitten too deep and Encre had only lost about an ounce of blood. His magic was already at work healing the bite mark, to Fallacy's relief.

"I'm so sorry about Carlos," Fallacy said. "He shouldn't have done that, even if he didn't know that you were the one I brought to the castle. I'll have to punish him for attacking you."

" **Please don't be too hard on him!** " Encre said. " **He looks younger than Jasper!** "

"Let me take you to Suave to translate what you said," Fallacy said gently. Encre nodded, and followed Fallacy through the castle until they found Suave talking to Jasper. Fallacy explained what had happened, and Encre repeated what he had told Fallacy. Upon hearing the translation, Fallacy sighed and looked at Encre.

"Very well," the Vampire King said. "His punishment will be lightened. I'll have him help the maids clean the bathrooms for a week, or something like that."

Encre smiled at him in relief. Then a servant came in. The servant saw the group and bowed deeply.

"Please forgive my intrusion, but dinner is ready," the servant said.

"Thank you," Fallacy said, and the servant bowed again before leaving. Fallacy looked at Encre, and said, "Come with us to the dining hall."

The four of them walked through the castle until they arrived at a beautiful dining room. The walls were decorated with tapestries, and the dining table was already loaded with food. The chairs were very fancy, but the two at the ends of the table were the fanciest. They almost looked like thrones.

Fallacy pulled out one of the chairs at the end of the table, and guided Encre in it before sitting down in the chair at the other end. Jasper sat down in the chair to Fallacy's right, and Suave sat down beside Jasper.

Encre was quite hungry after exploring the castle and being attacked by Carlos. The sight and smell of all the food made his stomach growl. Fallacy and Jasper smiled, having heard Encre's hungry stomach with their vampire senses.

Some servants came in and began serving the food to Encre and Suave. Encre noticed that the servants also brought out pitchers of blood for the vampires.

The food was absolutely delicious. Encre hadn't tasted anything so good in a very long time. As the four of them ate their dinner, they talked and got to know each other better. Or rather, Encre got to know the other three, and they got to know him.

Fallacy, Jasper, and Suave learned more about how the villagers in Underville treated Encre. It seemed that the villagers were just as bad as Encre's father, though he did have a guard friend named Azure. Fallacy made a mental note to spare this friend if they ever met. But as he learned more about Encre's bullies, he grew angrier. He would have to do something about them—and soon.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fallacy gives Encre an art studio, and enlists the help of another vampire to punish Encre's bullies.

After dinner, Fallacy led Encre to a room in one of the castle towers. Before he opened the door, the vampire turned to Encre, and said, "Close your eyes, and don't open them until I tell you to."

Encre was a bit confused, but he did as he was told. He heard a door open, then felt a pair of hands take his own and start pulling him forward gently. Encre followed the pull, and after few steps, his hands were released. He heard the sound of Fallacy moving around in the room they were in, and then the vampire's voice came from in front of him.

"Alright," Fallacy said, "Open your eyes."

Encre opened his eyes, and was met with a sight that filled him with overwhelming joy. The room they were in was an art studio, with every kind of art supplies he had always wanted. There were blank canvases, easels, mannequins, paint, pencils, everything! And there was even a huge window looking out over the garden.

Encre so happy that he couldn't find any words. Fortunately, Fallacy understood the look on his face. The vampire king chuckled, and said, "I'm glad you like it! This room is all yours. If you ever run out of any supplies, just let me know, and I'll arrange for more to be brought to you."

"Thank you!" Encre said. His happiness was so great that tears were starting to leak from his eyes. Before he could stop himself, he hugged Fallacy. The vampire king was surprised, but happily hugged him back. They separated after a few minutes, then Fallacy said, "If you want to get started on painting, you can. I'll stop by and check on you."

"Thank you," Encre said, smiling at him.

As Fallacy left the art studio, he saw Jasper and Suave waiting outside the door. The vampire king was sure he knew what his son was up to, and shook his head with a smile. He listened as Jasper and Suave went into the room to talk to Encre.

"Mr. Encre?" Jasper asked.

" **Oh, hello Jasper!** " Encre said. " **You can just call me Encre, if you want to! I'm not exactly used to people addressing me as Mr.** "

"Oh, okay!" Jasper said happily. "Can you make me a picture of the daytime? I've always wanted to see what the world looks like in the sun, but Father won't let me outside in the day because I could burn up."

" **Of course!** " Encre said. " **I did want to paint a picture of the garden in the daytime, anyways.** "

"Thank you, Encre!" Jasper said excitedly, hugging the artist. Encre couldn't help but coo over how adorable the young vampire was.

"Alright, we should leave Encre to his painting now, my lord," Suave told Jasper. The child pouted a little, but let go of Encre and left the art studio with the butler.

As Suave and Jasper walked through the castle halls, Jasper realized something. "Mr. Suave? You're a lot like Encre, aren't you?"

"What do you mean, my lord?" Suave asked curiously. Jasper replied, "Well you both speak French, right? And you both have eternal youth, too!"

Suave stopped walking and stared at him. "How did you know I have eternal youth?" he asked, surprised.

"Well, you've been around since I was just a baby!" Jasper said. "And you still look the same as you did when I was twenty years old! So I figured you probably have eternal youth. Right?"

Suave nodded. "Yes, I do," he said as they started walking again. "But unlike Encre, I'm immortal, not amortal. I can't die, but he can."

"I hope he doesn't," Jasper said. "I don't want him to be in pain. He's going to be my new mommy!"

"Don't get too ahead of yourself, my lord," Suave said. "Your father still needs to win his heart before Encre can be your new mother."

"He will!" Jasper said. "And they'll get married, and it will be a beautiful wedding with flowers and cake! And Encre will wear the prettiest white dress, and—"

Suave chuckled, and said, "You've got the wedding all planned out, don't you?"

"Yes!" Jasper replied eagerly. "Maybe we should help Father with getting Encre to love him!"

"No, no, my lord!" Suave said quickly. "That's the LAST thing we should do! Sometimes, when people try to help others fall in love, it actually ends up causing unforseen problems. Sometimes, it even causes them to start to dislike each other! We don't want to risk that happening! Besides, Lord Fallacy was able to get your mother to fall in love with him on his own. I'm sure he'll be able to do the same thing with Encre, too!"

"Oh, okay," Jasper said, nodding in understanding. He may have still been a child in vampire terms, but he was far more intelligent than any mortal child, and knew that Suave was right. "Where is Father anyway?"

Fallacy was currently in the library, looking for a specific book. He found it, and began flipping through the pages. The book was about the villagers of Underville, and Fallacy was looking for information on the bullies that had tormented Encre. He wanted to punish them, but he knew he wouldn't be able to get into their houses on his own. Unless...

The thing about vampires was that they couldn't enter a mortal dwelling without an invitation from someone inside it. But once they were invited in, they could come and go as they pleased. And the person who invited them in didn't have to LIVE there. They just had to be in the building when they invited the vampire in. That being said, there were a very rare few vampires that were immune to certain Primordial Vampire Laws, due to the type of vampire they were. For example, Daywalker Vampires could be out in the sun with absolutely no consequences. And some vampires were immune to garlic. But there was one kind of vampire that could enter a mortal dwelling without an invitation. And Fallacy knew one of those vampires. 

Fallacy thought for a moment, then sighed. He put the book away and went to Carlos's room.

The young vampire looked up at Fallacy when he entered, and immediately said, "Please, sir! I swear I didn't know he was Encre! I never would have attacked him if I—"

Fallacy raised a hand to silence him, and said, "You should thank him when you see him. He convinced me not to be too hard on you. If he hadn't, your punishment would be a lot more severe. I was going to make you stand in the sun for a few minutes for attacking him. But thanks to him, I decided I would have you help the maids clean the bathrooms, instead of what I was originally planning."

Carlos nodded silently, making a mental note to thank Encre when he saw the artist. The young vampire would very much rather clean toilets than stand in the sun. Then Fallacy spoke again.

"That being said, I have decided to forgo your punishment altogether, if you help me with something very important," the vampire king said. "You see, I have learned that Encre has been severely bullied by people in Underville, and I intend to punish them for how they treated him. The best time to do so is at night, when the sun is down. But they'll all be in their homes, and not likely to invite a random stranger into their homes. And as you know, I can't enter a mortal dwelling without an invitation. But you can."

"So you want me to go to Underville and punish Encre's bullies?" Carlos asked. Fallacy replied, "No, I want you to go with me to Underville, and help me get inside the bullies' houses. You get into the houses and invite me in. And I will punish them for what they've done."

Carlos nodded. It was better than cleaning toilets, and MUCH better than standing in the sun. "When are we leaving?" he asked.

"The sun will be up soon, so we'll leave after it goes down again," Fallacy replied. "Just remember, do as I say, and nothing else. Understand?"

"Yes, sir!" Carlos said.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Encre has a strange dream.

Encre's sleep schedule seemed to be a bit messed up. Before Fallacy had taken him, the artist would be active during the day and sleep at night, just like everyone else in Underville. But ever since Fallacy had brought him to his castle, Encre was starting to sleep at unusual times. He had been awake all night, and it was mid-afternoon by the time he was starting to get sleepy. He was in the garden, painting a picture of the daytime for Jasper, but his eyes were getting too heavy to keep open.

Encre yawned, and heard a voice behind him say, " **Encre, are you alright?** " The artist turned and saw Suave approaching him.

" **I'm fine! Just a little tired, that's all!** " Encre assured the butler.

" **Perhaps you should get some sleep?** " Suave suggested. Encre replied, " **But it's the middle of the day!** "

" **I know, but Lord Fallacy encourages everyone in the castle to sleep when we need to, rather than when it's traditionally acceptable to do so,** " Suave said. " **Just because most mortals sleep at night, doesn't mean we have to adhere to that rule of society.** "

" **I see,** " Encre said, yawning again. " **But I really want to work on Jasper's painting some more.** "

" **I'm sure he'll understand that you need sleep,** " Suave assured him. " **In fact, I'm sure he'd encourage you to get some if he saw how tired you are, too! You can work on his painting some more later, when you're rested.** "

Encre wanted to argue, but he knew that Suave was right about him needing sleep. He nodded and said, " **Alright, I'll get some sleep. I hope I'm still able to work on this painting later!** "

He went to his room, and got into bed. He must have been more tired than he'd thought, because he was asleep within moments.

_**Encre's Dream**_

_He was walking through Underville. It was the middle of the day, but something was off. Nobody was outside. Everything was quiet... TOO quiet._

_Something was wrong, Encre knew that at once. Suddenly, he saw a figure in the distance. The figure was wearing a yellow cloak, the hood pulled over their head. The figure turned toward Encre, and the artist saw that it was a skeleton._

_The skeleton saw Encre, and approached him faster than the artist's eyes could follow him. He was standing before him in the blink of an eye. The stranger smiled, and Encre saw that he had fangs like Fallacy._

_It was clear that this skeleton was a vampire, but Encre didn't feel threatened by his presence. In fact, the vampire seemed more like a friend than a malicious force._

_"_ **_Hello, Encre!_ ** _" the vampire said._

 _"_ **_Hello!_ ** _Encre said. "_ **_What's going on? Why is the village so quiet?_ ** _"_

 _"_ **_The villagers have taken refuge in their king's castle,_ ** _" the vampire replied. "_ **_They're preparing for a war against the vampires. Your father told Eterna that Fallacy kidnapped you, and she's been rallying the villagers to fight to get you back. We have some allies on our side, such as your friend Sir Azure and the blacksmith Sir Rufous, but it's still not going to be easy to win this war._ ** _"_

 _"_ **_I see,_** _" said Encre. A thought suddenly occurred to him. "_ ** _Wait, how do you know all this? And how do you know my name? Is this just a normal dream or—_** _"_

 _"_ **_You're having a vision of the future,_ ** _" the vampire replied. "_ **_I represent a future friend of yours named Rêver, but the real Rêver doesn't know you or know anything about this vision yet. You will meet him, though. And many other vampire allies. But now it's time to wake up._ ** _"_

_**Encre's Dream Ends**_

Encre woke up with a start. He looked around his room, half expecting to see this Rêver vampire standing nearby. But the room was empty. His curtains were open, and he could see that it was nighttime already.

The artist sighed. He'd really wanted to work on Jasper's painting some more today. But it seemed that the painting would have to wait until tomorrow. He got up, and saw a note on his bedside table. He picked up the note and read:

**_Encre,_ **

**_Lord Fallacy had his seamstresses make new clothes for you. They are hanging in the wardrobe. Lord Fallacy had to leave for some important business, but he hopes your new clothes are to your liking._ **

**_\- Suave_ **

The artist walked to the wardrobe and opened it to see that it was full of the nicest clothes he had ever seen. They looked like the clothing that was worn by nobility, or even royalty! He tried some on and found, to his delight, that they fit him perfectly. He didn't know how the seamstresses were able to tailor them to his exact size, but he certainly wasn't complaining.

Encre's stomach growled loudly, and he smiled. He left his room and walked to where he remembered the dining room to be. As he entered, he saw Suave sitting at the table eating.

" **Good evening!** " Suave said as he saw Encre. " **I see you're wearing the new clothes that Lord Fallacy had made for you. Do you like them?** "

" **Yes, very much!** " Encre said happily. " **They're comfortable, and they fit me perfectly! And I've never had such nice clothing, either!** "

" **I'm sure Lord Fallacy will be pleased to hear that!** " Suave said, smiling. " **He said he should be back a little after midnight. He had some things he needed to do in Underville.** "

The mention of the village reminded Encre of his dream. He hesitated, wondering if he should mention it. If it really was a vision of the future, then perhaps he should.

Suave noticed the expression on Encre's face, and asked, " **Is something wrong?** "

" **I– I'm not sure...** " Encre replied. " **This is going to sound crazy, but I had a dream about a vampire who said I was having a vision of the future.** "

Suave frowned, and asked, " **Did the vampire tell you their name?** "

" **Yes, his name was Rêver,** " Encre said.

Suave's eye sockets went wide, and he said, " **Then that was most likely really a vision of the future. Rêver is a member of the Vampire Council, and a friend of Lord Fallacy. What did he say in your dream?** "

Encre explained his dream to Suave, and the butler nodded solemnly. " **You should definitely warn Fallacy. Rêver can control the dreams of people, but he can't exactly SEE the future himself. That being said, he CAN send dreams to people in the past, so it's very likely that his future self sent you that vision. And if so, then Fallacy needs to know about the possibility of a war.** "

Encre nodded, shivering slightly. If Suave was correct, then something was going to happen. Something big. Something bad.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fallacy goes to Underville to punish Encre's bullies, and meets two potential allies.

Fallacy and Carlos flew as bats over the trees of the Forbidden Forest. They had left the castle as soon as it was dark enough for them to be out safely, and were now almost at the border between the Forbidden Forest and Underville. As they reached the village, they saw a skeleton in armor walking through the streets. Thanks to their vampiric senses, they could hear the skeleton speaking.

"But what if his father is lying?" the skeleton was saying quietly. "What if he WASN'T kidnapped by vampires? I know how badly he was treated! What if someone in the village hurt him! Poor Encre!"

_Encre?!_ Carlos said to Fallacy, using his vampiric telepathy. _He knows Encre?!_

_If that's who I suspect it is, then we may be able to trust him,_ replied the Vampire King.

_Who is it?_ asked Carlos.

_Possibly one of Encre's only friends in Underville,_ replied Fallacy. He flew closer to the skeleton.

The skeleton didn't seem to notice the vampires approaching him. He looked toward the Forbidden Forest, and said, "I hope you're alright, Encre!"

Fallacy decided to take a risk, and transformed into his skeletal form in front of the armored skeleton. Startled, the skeleton stepped back and asked, "Did you kidnap my friend?!"

"Are you Azure?" Fallacy asked. The skeleton's eye sockets went wide, and he asked, "How do you know my name?!"

"Encre is safe now," Fallacy replied. "He rescued me from the sun, and let me into his house. Later that night, his father came in and started beating him. So I decided to rescue him as he had me, and I took him to my castle. I have no intention of harming him. And he mentioned that you are one of the few people to be nice to him in this village, so I have no intention of harming you, either."

"Oh," Azure said, relieved. "I'm glad he's safe. His father told Eterna that Encre was kidnapped by vampires, so now she's planning on hunting you down and bringing him back."

"I see," Fallacy said. "Thank you for telling me. Rest assured, Encre is safe with me."

"Are you planning on doing anything to Encre's father?" Azure asked.

"I intend to punish him for the way he abused Encre," Fallacy confirmed. "I also intend to punish the people in this village who bullied him."

"I see..." Azure said. "I know I should probably sound the alarm since you're here, but Encre's really suffered a lot at the hands of the villagers. So I'll just pretend I didn't see you."

"Thank you," Fallacy said. Azure hesitated then said, "I've always tried to protect Encre whenever I saw him being bullied, but I wasn't always the one who saw it first. Sometimes, it was the blacksmith, Sir Rufous. Whenever he saw someone picking on Encre, he would send a message to me so that I could deal with them. I don't know if Encre knows this, but Sir Rufous cares about him just as much as I do, and he's really worried about him. If you see him, would you be willing to spare him as well?"

"Yes," Fallacy said. "And I'll also let Encre know about this Sir Rufous as well. But for now, I must deal with the bullies and Encre's father. Good night, Azure!"

"Good night!" Azure replied as Fallacy transformed back into a bat and flew off. Fallacy flew to the house that Encre had lived in with his father, and entered through the still open window of Encre's old bedroom. Carlos flew in close behind. As they tranformed back into people, Carlos asked, "Was this Encre's house?"

"Yes," Fallacy said. "His father should be here. Now, let's get down to business."

**_*TIME SKIP*_ **

Fallacy and Carlos went into most of the houses of the village. Carlos would go in first, and invite Fallacy in. Then Fallacy would drain the life energy of one person inside, just as he had done to Encre when he'd rescued the artist. But this time, Fallacy did it to punish the bullies. Draining their life energy would give them painful headaches when they woke up, and make them unable to get out of bed from weakness. Fallacy planned to come back to each house every night, until he'd gotten every bully.

As they reached one of the houses near the blacksmith's shop, they heard a gruff voice say quietly, "I'm glad Encre's safe. Thank you for telling me, Azure."

The voice of Azure responded softly, "You're welcome, Sir Rufous. I got the feeling that we can trust that vampire with making sure he's taken care of. And he promised not hurt either of us, since we were kind to Encre. I hope we can see him again one day."

"Me too," the gruff voice said, "but he may be happier with that vampire. Especially with all the bullies here in Underville."

Fallacy and Carlos peered through an open window of the house, and saw two skeletons. One was Azure, and the other was dressed in blacksmith clothes. Clearly he was the Sir Rufous that Azure had mentioned.

"I shouldn't say this out loud, but I hope that vampire pays particular attention to Encre's father," Azure said. "No man should ever hurt his own child!"

"I hope so too," Rufous replied. "I mean, I knew Encre's father didn't want to raise him after his mother died, but that's no excuse for child abuse!"

Fallacy had heard enough to know that Azure and Rufous truly cared about Encre. He considered taking them back to the castle, but decided against it for now. Three people disappearing from the village in as many nights would no doubt bring the Vampire Hunters to his castle doors in a big hurry. He and Carlos continued their business, punishing one bully from each household. By midnight they were finished, and on the way back to the castle.

As they transformed from bats back into people and went into the castle, they were greeted by Suave.

"Welcome home, my lord and Carlos," the butler said, bowing to Fallacy.

"Thank you, Suave," Fallacy said. He turned to Carlos and said, "Alright, a deal is a deal. You helped me with what I needed to to, so I'm canceling your punishment. But the next time you attack Encre, I won't be so lenient!"

"Yes sir!" Carlos said, relieved. Fallacy said, "Now go to your studies."

Carlos scurried off, and Suave cleared his throat. "My lord, Encre may have alerted me to a problem."

Fallacy looked at Suave and asked sharply, "What problem?"

"Perhaps we should discuss it somewhere private," Suave suggested.

Fallacy nodded, and said, "In my study. And find Encre. If he alerted you to it, then he should be there with us."

"Yes, my lord," Suave said, bowing. He went to find Encre as Fallacy went to his study.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fallacy summons the Vampire Council to his castle.

Fallacy sat in his study with Suave and Encre as Suave explained what Encre had told him. Encre's English was far too poor for him to be able to explain it himself. Fallacy listened carefully, and nodded at the end of the explanation.

"I see," the vampire said. "That certainly sounds like a vision of the future. And it also sounds like a dream Rêver would send through time to your past self. And he does speak French, so it would make sense that the representation of himself in your dream would speak it to you. It seems I was right about being able to trust those two skeletons."

" **Did you see Azure when you went to Underville?** " Encre asked.

"Yes, I met him," Fallacy said. "He mentioned that the blacksmith Sir Rufous would send for him whenever he saw you being bullied. He also said that Sir Rufous cares as much about you as he does."

" **I thought so,** " Encre said, nodding. " **Whenever someone was picking on me in front of him, Sir Rufous would send his apprentice away, and Azure would come running to my rescue soon after. I suspected that Sir Rufous was telling his apprentice to go get Azure. Now my suspicions are confirmed.** "

"Well, I'm glad we can trust some people in Underville, even if it isn't very many," said Suave. "But now we need to figure out how to prepare for this war."

"We'll need to call in the Vampire Council," Fallacy said. "Especially Rêver, if he's going to send that dream to the past. He'd probably be the best option to talk to your friends in the daytime, too, since he's a Daywalker. But the rest of the Council needs to know about this as well."

" **What is the Vampire Council, anyway?** " asked Encre.

"The Vampire Council is a group of powerful vampires that help me govern all of the other vampires in existence," replied Fallacy. "Each member of the council is a different kind of vampire, and they each have their own unique powers that no other vampire has. For example, Rêver is a Daywalker, and he has the unique ability to control the dreams of anyone anywhere at any point in time. Luxure, on the other hand, is an Incubus, and his unique ability is the power to force anyone to go into heat even if they're a creature that doesn't naturally do so. Only the members of the Vampire Council have these powers. They each rule over their respective vampire species, but as the Vampire King I have the final say in everything. We will need their help to win this war." 

"I shall send for them at once, my lord," Suave said, standing up.

"Thank you, Suave," said Fallacy. "Oh, and could you have Jasper come in here? I want him to know about this, so that he knows to be extra safe when the war starts."

"Yes, my lord," Suave said, bowing. He left the room, and Fallacy looked at Encre.

"I promise you this, Encre," the vampire said. "I will not allow anyone to send you back to the life you were living before. Nobody deserves that kind of fate. I will do whatever it takes to keep you here with me, where you are safe."

" **Thank you,** " Encre said, relieved. Fallacy knew enough French to understand him, and said, "You're very welcome. Now, I doubt the war will be starting for at LEAST a few days, more likely a few weeks or even a few months, so why don't you enjoy the night, and go do something fun."

Encre smiled and thanked him again before leaving. He went to his new art studio and started a new painting. He didn't remember enough about how the garden looked in the daylight to be able to finish Jasper's painting, so he decided to finish it when the sun was up again. There would be plenty of light to do so then. Now he decided to paint a picture of Azure and Rufous, the two people in Underville who treated him kindly. He painted them sitting together on the edge of the fountain that was in the center of the village. By sunrise the painting was finished.

As Encre finished the painting, his stomach growled. He cleaned up his art supplies and went to the dining room for breakfast. Or was it lunch? After all, he had eaten when he'd gotten up last night, and he hadn't gone back to sleep since. So lunch it was.

As he entered the dining room, the artist saw Jasper sitting at the table drinking some blood from a cup. Encre smiled at him as he sat down at the table and said, " **Hello, Jasper!** "

Jasper looked up at him, confused. "Does that mean hello?" he asked. Encre nodded, and the young vampire prince smiled happily. "Hello, Encre!" he said happily. "Suave needs to teach me French, so I can understand you!"

A servant brought some food to Encre, and the hungry skeleton began to eat. A few minutes later, Suave came in and sat down with the two diners. Fallacy arrived mere moments later.

"The Vampire Council has responded to the summons," Fallacy said as he sat down at the table. "They all should arrive at around midnight tonight. I would recommend that you rest up before their arrival, Encre. They're all quite anxious to meet you."

Encre shivered at those words. He had never met a vampire other that Fallacy, Jasper, and Carlos. But he was sure that there were probably some evil ones out there. Just as he believed that not all vampires were evil, so too did Encre believe that not all vampires were good. 

Fallacy noticed Encre's discomfort, and smiled reassuringly at him. "Don't be afraid. They all serve me, and they've all vowed to protect you at all costs. You can trust them."

" **Thank you,** " Encre said, feeling much better at the Vampire King's promise. He finished up his lunch, and excused himself to go work on Jasper's painting. By the time he got his supplies to the garden, there was plenty of light to work with. Encre finished the painting by mid-morning, and as it was drying he went to look for a frame to put it in. When it was dry, he put it in the frame he found, and went looking for Jasper.

The young vampire prince was in the ballroom. He had just finished up his piano lesson, and was getting up from the piano when he saw Encre holding the painting.

" **This is for you, Jasper!** " the artist said holding out the painting. The young vampire prince may not have been able to understand his words, but he seemed to understand the gesture.

"For me?" he asked excitedly. Encre smiled and nodded. Jasper squealed in excitement, and cried, "It's perfect! It's better than I could have ever dream it would be! Thank you!"

He took the painting and raced off. Encre smiled after him fondly, then checked the time. It was noon, so Encre decided to go to bed so that he would be well rested when the Vampire Council arrived.

**_*TIME SKIP*_ **

When Encre woke up, it was already 8 PM. He got out of bed and changed into the nicest outfit in his wardrobe. He was very nervous about meeting the Vampire Council, and wanted to make sure he made a good first impression. He went back to the dining room to eat, but his nonexistent stomach had too many butterflies in it for him to eat much.

Fallacy and Jasper came in as Encre was getting up from the table. They immediately saw how nervous he was.

"It's okay, Encre," Jasper said. "Don't worry! The Council will love you! Everyone in the castle does!"

"He's right," Fallacy agreed. "You have nothing to fear. They will find you just as charming as the rest of us do!"

Encre nodded silently. He wasn't very reassured, though. The idea of meeting a lot of noble vampires was incredibly nerve-racking.

They went into the throne room to await the arrival of the Council. Suave was already there, overseeing the maids that were just finish up the cleaning.

"Perfect!" Suave said after inspecting the throne carefully. "Very good! The Council will be impressed with the cleanliness!"

Fallacy sat down in his throne, and Jasper and Suave stood nearby. Encre, however couldn't stop pacing around near the throne.

"I see he's nervous," Suave said sympathetically. Fallacy nodded and said, "Very."

"I don't blame him," Suave said. "I remember meeting the Council for the first time."

"Perhaps you can calm him down?" Jasper asked.

"I'll try," Suave said. He approached Encre, and spoke with him, trying to sooth his nonexistent nerves. With gentle words, he was able to bring Encre to a near-calm state–near, but not entirely calm. After some time, Encre was able to stand still next to Fallacy's throne. It was just in time, too. At midnight, the castle doors were opened.

The Vampire Council had arrived.


End file.
